What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger
by Nightly Dreamer95
Summary: My past no longer mattered, it no longer controlled me, I no longer suffered the nightmares that would leave me in a cold sweat. Today surrounded by my family, my friends, I closed the door to my past and opened the door to my future.


**AN: This is not edited, so there will be errors maybe in spelling or punctuation, sorry if that annoys you. I don't have a beta.  
**

**Isabella.**

Whenever people ask me what my childhood was like I tell them that I grew up in a fabulous two story home with a white picket fence surrounded by the woods, with the golden retriever named Mike. And that my father was a police officer, and my mother was a kindergarten teacher, and I was an only child. The product of their love.

When in reality I never knew my father, and my mother was a crack whore working on the corner to put on the table and support her drug addiction. She died when I was 12. She'd pissed off her pimp by taking more then half her share and he decided to make an example out of her. In front of me.

After my mother was killed her pimp took me in, and put me on her corner, I might not have been educated but I wasn't stupid. I knew what would come of me, so with the first chance I got a made a run for it. And that landed me right here in Seattle where I'd been living for the last 7 years.

When I first arrived in Seattle I had nothing but the clothes on my back, which weren't going to suffice if I wasn't going to freeze to death. So I raided the Vinny's bin for some warm clothes, and I searched for a place to sleep.

I found one, it was an old abandoned building, a lot of street kids bunked down there. I stayed to myself most of the time, I'd gotten into a few fights but usually the brothers- Sam, Paul and Jared- who were in charge of the building took pity on me and stuck up for me.

Nobody messed with them.

A few months ago the building was taken over by another gang after Sam had been picked up by the police and his brothers had been sent into foster care.

The new guys in charge were horrible-James, Laurent, and Riley- they beat on the little kids, and traded sex for drugs or a place to sleep. And if anyone wanted to sleep in the building you had to do something humiliating or do a drug run for them, and more often then not you had to give sexual favours for just a single night in the building.

A few weeks after the take over one of the new guys-Riley- cornered me and told me I had to pay my debt because I had been living under his roof for free. I knew what he wanted but I refused, Laurent and James threw me around a bit, and humiliated me whenever they got the chance, and had me run their drugs but they never once suggested sexual favours.

Of cause refusing Riley only made things worse, because the other two got involved and held me down. Needless to say thing's didn't end well. In fact the only good thing to come out of that night was the little bundle that now slept peacefully in the stroller.

Ness had been born just a few hours ago, in the ally behind some bakery that was closed for the night. I'd dressed her in baby's pants, and sweater, they were way to big on her but I wanted to make sure she was warm. I also had her wrapped in a pink blanket, I'd also been lucky enough to find a stroller in the bin.

All that was wrong with it was the top, it had ripped, but I was able to fix it with a plastic bag. During the last 9 months, I'd done everything I could to get ready for the baby, of cause I couldn't go to the hospital or anything but there was this library around the corner that let people use their computers.

I looked up on the internet everything I'd need for the baby, of cause I didn't have a job so I couldn't afford anything, and nobody would hire me because I was homeless, pregnant and I couldn't read as fast as others.

So I had to stick to raiding the bins, I'd gotten some clothes to keep her warm, a few blankets, and hats to keep her ears warm. I couldn't get her a crib but I figured she'd be able to sleep in the stroller for awhile until she got bigger.

I was sitting down in front of the stroller playing with her tiny hands, I couldn't help but admire the little person before me. She was so beautiful, never in my whole life had I ever seen anything so precious. Her tiny heart shaped baby face, pink pouting fish lips, her little button nose.

I stayed up the whole night just watching her, I was so tired but I couldn't take my eyes off her, as the sun began to rise she woke up crying. She'd woken up a few times during the night, I even had to change her pants because she'd messed herself.

I didn't have any nappies, so I could only clean her up and get a new pair of pants out, but as I took her into my arms holding her like the pictures on the internet showed she wouldn't stop crying. The street lights had just turned off..

"Shh, Nessie, it's okay." I whispered cradling her closely. "Please stop crying, I don't know what to do! Please stop." I begged feeling my own tears start to fall. I sat with her in my arms for I don't know how long, begging her to stop crying. "What do I do-"

"Excuse-" my eyes snapped up to the voice, I held Nessie closer to me and looked up at the strange beautiful woman. "-It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you, or your baby. Are you okay, do you need some help?"

I looked down at Ness as she continued to cry. "I- I don't know what to do." I admitted looking up at the woman. "What did I do wrong?"

She knelt down in front of me not touching either of us. "I'm sure you did nothing wrong, she's probably just hungry, have you fed her?" I shook my head looking up at the woman, she suddenly looked even more concerned. "How old is she?"

"I- I had her last night, the street lights just came on."

Her eyes widened and she looked over to the blanket beside me, it was covered in blood, my blood. "You had her here, in the ally, why didn't you go to the hospital?"

"I- I was scared." I said looking up at the woman. "Will you help me?"

She nodded raising her hand to my face, tucking my hair behind my ear. "Of cause I will, come on inside." I stood up holding Ness close, I grabbed the stroller and pulled it along with me. "Here let me, you just carry the baby, make sure you support her head."

I nodded doing as the pictures had showed me, Esme led me through the kitchen and into some kinda of back lounge. "Take a seat sweetheart."

"Do you work here?" I asked her.

"I own the place, we're closed today but I came in to get my wedding ring. I'd taken it off last night while I was folding some doe, I forgot to put it back on." Esme explained taking a seat in front of me. "I'm Esme, what's your name?"

"Everybody just calls me Bella." I admitted to Esme. "And this is Ness."

"Alright Bella, I don't have anything here for Ness to drink, so your going to have to give her some milk. Okay?"

"I can't afford milk-" I began to say.

"Not that kinda milk, sweetheart, the kinda milk that comes from your breasts." She explained. "If your not comfortable with that I can run to the shop-"

"I don't know how to do that." I said looking down in shame. "I'm a horrible mother-"

"No, no, your just new and scared." Esme said reaching out to pick up my hand. "I'll help you, you just have to put your nipple in Ness's mouth and she'll do the rest."

Esme and I worked together awkwardly but as I lowered the strap of my shirt, and Ness wrapped her little mouth around my nipple she stopped crying. I smiled looking up at Esme. "I did it."

"You did." She smiled looking up at me with sad eyes. "How old are you Bella?"

"I'm 19." I answered her honestly.

"Bella I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to know that I'm not judging you, but I want the truth. Where did you get the stroller and all these clothes, do you have a home?"

I shook my head looking up at her feeling tears well up in my eyes again. "I got most of the clothes from the Vinny's bin, and the blanket and stroller. I tried getting a job but no one would hire me because I didn't have a real home, and when I tried to get a home nobody would rent to me because I had no way of paying. I really did try, Esme-"

"I know you did, Bella." She said looking like she was going to cry herself. "What about Ness's father, do you know where he is?"

I shook my head looking into her eyes. "She doesn't have a father."

"Of cause she does, everybody does-"

"She doesn't." I hissed at her knowing I was being rude.

"Okay." Esme said holding up her hands. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to know if you had any other family that could help you."

"I never knew my father, my Mom died when I was 12, and I've been on my own since. I've been staying in an abandoned building on the other side of town, I'd been there since I arrived in Seattle but after what Riley did I couldn't stay there anymore-"

"Riley, is he the father-"

"He raped me." I said refusing to look at her, when I heard her sob I looked up to see her crying. "I'm sorry-"

She shook her head pulling me into her arms, I froze and she pulled back looking horrified. "I'm so sorry, I didn't even think, your just so young. I promise you Bella, I will do everything in my power to make sure nobody ever hurts you again. You have my word."

"I can look after myself-" I began to say before I looked down at Ness. "-But I can't look after her on my own, I don't know how to, will you help me with Ness?"

She nodded stroking my cheek. "I will, come on, let's get you out of here and into some warm clothes. I'll have to stop at the pharmacy to get some nappies and powered milk."

"I don't have any money-"

"I'll pay for it." Esme said standing up picking up the keys from the coffee table. "Come on sweetheart, let's get going."

After stopping at the pharmacy to get some baby supplies we headed to Esme's house. "I hope you don't mind but while I was inside I picked up a few onesies, dummies, and a cute little monkey that I thought she might like, and a couple bottles in case."

"Thank you, Esme." I said looking up at the woman. "I promise I will pay you back somehow."

"Don't be silly, you just let me take care of you both, you've been through a lot." Esme said before turning her eyes back onto the road. She suddenly started laughing.

"What's so funny?" I asked looking up from a now sleeping Ness.

"My husband and step-children are home for the summer, and we all decided last night over dinner that we'd clean out the attic. So the boys started bringing down all the boxes, which are filled with the kids old clothes and toys, and they even brought down the baby crib that Carlisle built. He broke a screw in it so he was never able to take it down, he wanted to get rid of it but I refused because I thought we'd need it oneday."

I smiled though not really seeing why that was so funny.

"It's just Ironic." Esme smiled knowingly. "Because if we had of gotten rid of it, we'd have to have brought another cot for Ness."

"Are you sure your husband won't mind if Ness and I stay?" I asked hesitantly as we pulled up to a huge three story white house surrounded by woods, in the yard was a play ground with an old willow tree with a swing in it. "You live here!"

"I do, it's my husband's family home, 6 generations have been born in this house." Esme explained pulling up beside a yellow car. The number plate said Pixie69. Strange. "Come on, Bella."

I hoped out of the car holding Ness close to me, I followed Esme up the driveway, she had a bag of nappies in one hand and a few others filled with god only knows what. When she opened the front door I could hear laughter echoing in the house.

"Oh my god, Jazzy you are such a cute baby!" A woman cried out.

"I'm going to kill you, Rosalie." A guy growled though I didn't think he meant it.

"Honey your home!" A tall blonde man walked out into the hall, when he saw me his eyes widened before he looked back to Esme. "What's going on?"

"I found her in the ally behind the bakery, Carlisle." Esme said looking up at the man pleadingly. "She'd given birth last night by herself, I didn't know what else to do, I had to help her."

The man, Carlisle, turned to me with concern. "Why didn't you go to the hospital?"

"I was scared." I said looking up at him. "I can go, I'll be okay-"

"No!" Esme cried turning to me. "Your staying, I told you I'd help you and I meant it." She said before turning to Carlisle who had now been joined by 6 other people. "Please Carlisle, she's got nobody else, I won't turn her away."

"I'd never ask you to, Esme." He said before turning his eyes back onto me. "Your welcome to stay here as long as you need to, I'm Carlisle."

"Bella." I said hesitantly. "And thank you."

Esme smiled and turned to me looking nervous. "Bella, my husband is also a doctor, do you think it'd be okay if he examined Ness to make sure she's healthy. You want to make sure she's not sick, do you?"

I nodded and looked at the man. "I guess, but I'm not leaving her."

"Of cause, and perhaps after I examine Ness I could examine you, just to make sure there was no complications during delivery. Esme will be with you the whole time, if you'd feel safer with her."

I looked at Esme who was nodding with an encouraging smile, I sighed biting down on my lip nervously. "Okay."

He nodded seeming relieved before he turned to the others. "I'm sorry kids, but why don't you all go back to the living room." They all nodded and turned to the living room before Carlisle turned back to me. "Follow me, Bella."

"This is Carlisle's Office." Esme said as we entered a private room where the walls were covered with books, it reminded me of a library, but it smelt even nicer.

"Take a seat, Bella." Carlisle said walking around the room, I sat down next to Esme on the couch. "Alright I'm just going to give her a quick examination, and then you can give her to Esme while I have a look at you."

After a few minutes Carlisle gave the all clear and I handed Ness over to Esme, as strange as it sounded I trusted the woman. "I don't have to get undressed or anything, do I?"

Carlisle searched my eyes and seemed to be contemplating something. "I do need to have a look at your private areas, your vagina, and your breasts, you will have to remove your pants. Is that alright, Bella?"

"You'll stay with me right?" I asked looking at Esme feeling kinda sick.

"I'm not going anywhere, I'll be right here." Esme said patting my hand. "Carlisle won't hurt you, Bella."

**An hour later.**

I stepped out of the shower feeling clean for the first time in ages, I wrapped the towel around myself and entered the room, Esme was waiting on the bed with a few pieces of clothes.

"Where's Ness?" I asked suddenly in a panic.

"She's okay." Esme said quickly. "My daughter Rose is just giving her a bathe in the sink downstairs, Carlisle's with her." Esme explained holding up a pair of jeans, and a hoodie. "I got you some clean clothes, my son Jasper's girlfriend Alice is the closest one to your size and she's lent you some clothes to wear until we can go shopping."

"Thank you." I said taking the clothes catching her hand before she could pull it away. "Really, Esme, thank you. I've never met anyone as kind and giving as you. It gives me hope that Ness can have a better life then I did."

Esme smiled and kissed my cheek. "I'll let you get dressed, come downstairs when your ready, I'll make you a sandwich."

I got dressed in the underwear, jeans, and hoodie, I took a few minutes to collect myself before I went downstairs to face Esme and her family. Once I finally did have the nerve I left the room and descended the stairs.

"She's so beautiful." I heard one of the girls say.

"She just smiled at me!" A guy said sounding excited.

"She's barely a day old, Emmett, she can't smile." Another guy laughed before stopping when he saw me enter the living room. "Hi."

I smiled hesitantly and stood awkwardly in the hall. "Hi."

The tiny woman beside him jumped up. "I'm Alice, I see the clothes fit nicely."

"Yes, thank you." I said smiling at the girl.

"We gave Ness her bath, and we dressed her in the new onesies." Alice explained picking up my hand and dragging me over to the couch. I sat down beside Alice smiling as I saw Ness was awake and laying in a rocker. "She's really beautiful, Bella."

"She really is." I agreed reaching out to touch her hand, her little fingers wrapped around my finger and gripped tightly.

"I hope your hungry, Bella." Esme said handing me a plate with a sandwich on it. "It's got ham, cheese, tomato and lettuce."

"It looks great." I smiled removing my hand from Ness as I picked up my sandwich. I ate listening to everyone gush about how cute and adorable Ness was. I couldn't disagree.

"So Bella..." Carlisle began when I finished. "...I realize this maybe a tad bit personal, but how long have you been living on the streets? Where's your family, your Mom? Dad? Brother, Sisters? What's your story?"

"I never knew my father, and I was an only child." I explained leaning back on the couch. "My Mom was killed when I was 12, she was a drug addict and worked on the corner to feed her habit. One night she ripped of her pimp and he killed her in front of me. Then he took me in and tried to- make a profit- but I ran away knowing if I didn't I'd end up just like her. So you could say I've been homeless ever since."

I hadn't told Esme that but I figured if they were going to have me in their home they might as well know the truth about me.

"I'm sorry." Carlisle said seeming sincere. "No child should have to go through that."

"It happens." I shrugged looking down at Ness. "I just don't want the same fate for Ness."

**2 weeks later.**

Since I arrived at the Cullen's thing's had been different, for the first time in my life I felt like I had a family, everybody was so nice and understanding, and helpful. The girls had gone out and spent a whole lot of money on Ness and I. For the first time in my life I had clothes, shoes, hell Rose even brought me make-up and lingerie.

Ness had thing's that I never could've afforded to buy her, she had so many toys that I'd lost count, and clothes, she had everything from onesies to full on fairy prince dresses. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little envious of the Cullen's.

Ness was my daughter, I should be the one buying her all these things, instead I was sitting on the sidelines unable to offer her anything. And if I'm honest I don't even feel like her Mom, I love her more then anything in the world but when I looked at her I didn't see my daughter. I saw a baby.

Somebody else's baby.

I walked into the room that everybody had declared as the 'nursery' and found Esme sitting in the rocking chair feeding Ness. She was singing a lullaby to Ness, I just stood by the door watching her. She was the kinda mother I wish I could someday be, but right now I was still a kid.

"Your really good with her." I said once she finished singing.

She looked up surprised to see me. "Bella, dear, here do you want her-"

"No." I said quickly holding up my hands. "You look like you have everything under control." She sat back down in the rocking chair and smiled. "How do you do it?"

She looked up at me confused. "Do what?"

"I don't know, whatever your doing, you do it wonderfully, it's like your a natural mother." I explained sitting down on the turtle stool in front of Esme.

Esme sighed sadly running her index finger over Ness's pink cheek. "I always wanted to be a mother, Bella. Even as a child I knew that's what I wanted, I used to pretend that my dolly's were my babies and I'd take them everywhere with me. When I was 19 I was looking for a job to help pay for my college studies, so I took on the job of a Nanny."

"Seriously?" I asked with a grin.

She chuckled and nodded looking up at me. "I loved kids, Bella. I figured what better way to earn some money. As fate would have it Carlisle hired me to look after 5 year old son, 7 year old daughter and newborn baby. His wife had passed giving birth to Diego, so he had a lot on his plate. I'd always been attracted to Carlisle, but I refused to cross that line. I loved the job, and I loved the kids, I wasn't going to risk everything because of my crush. After 5 long years of working for Carlisle he was finally ready to move on, and I learned that he felt the same about me as I did him. So we started dating, and soon we were engaged and then married. Diego was 6 years old by then."

"Why didn't you ever have your own children?" I asked but stopped when I saw the pain suddenly in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay." She said wiping the stray tear. "When we got back from our honeymoon we tried for a baby, and we were successful. I carried to term and we were all ready to invite our new baby girl into the world, but during labour the cord wrapped around her neck and by the time the doctors got her out she'd already died. I cried for months, I was even committed to mental health ward for a week, but then I got the help I needed and I was doing great."

She paused as the silent tears fell down her cheeks. "We named her Anna, I'd always wanted a daughter named Anna, it's what I called all my dollies as little girl."

I stood up and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. "Anna is a beautiful name."

She smiled nodding her head wiping the tears from her face. "She was a beautiful baby, Bella." Esme whispered with a dazed look in her eyes as she stared at me. "2 years later I was finally ready to try again, but I was in car accident and I had a lot of internal injuries and to safe my life they had to remove my uterus. So I'm not able to have children of my own."

I sat there staring at the woman in front of me, she'd been through a lot in her life and she still had a heart of gold filled with love. As I looked down at Ness I realized something very important, I didn't see Ness as my daughter because she wasn't. She was Esme's.

"Are you okay?" Esme asked suddenly.

I snapped myself out of my thoughts and looked at her. "I am, better then fine, actually. You wouldn't happen to know where Alice is, would you?"

"I think she's in the stables." Esme answered as I stood up. "Where are you going?"

"To see Alice." I grinned before I stopped and looked over my shoulder. "Thank you for sharing your story with me, Esme. It's made me realize something."

I didn't wait for her to say anything as I ran down the stairs, and out the back door. I shouted a quick hi to the boys and headed down to the stables. Alice was just riding in with Rose when I arrived.

"Hey Bella!" Rosalie said from on top of her black as night horse.

"Did you finally decide to take me up on my offer?" Alice asked looking excited beyond belief. She'd been trying to get me to ride since I arrived, but I was afraid of heights.

"No, but I do need your help." I said looking pleadingly at her. "Can we talk?"

"Sure." She said jumping down off the horse. "What's up?"

"It's actually something private- no offence, Rose." I said quickly and nervously. "But I really do just need Alice's help, if she'll give it."

"Of cause, it's fine, I totally understand." Rosalie smiled happily. "I'm going to take the trail again, see you girls later."

"So what's this about?" Alice asked as we walked over to the willow tree.

"First, I need you to promise me you won't judge, promise?" I asked her nervously as I took a seat on the ground next to her.

"No judgement." Alice said doing the whole cross my heart thing. "What's this about?" She asked again shrugging off her jacket.

"I'd do it myself but I can't read-"

"I understand that, now get to the point, silly." Alice giggled running her fingers through her short spiky hair.

"I want to give Ness up for adoption-" I held up my hand when she began to scream. "-I want Carlisle and Esme to adopt her."

She shut her mouth and stared at me with wide eyes. "Wow, are you sure?"

I nodded pulling my legs up to my chest. "I love Ness, but not as her mother, when I look at her I don't see my daughter, Alice. When I look at Esme and Ness I see a mother and daughter. And oneday I hope I can be half the mother Esme is, but I'm not ready for that yet." I cried picking up her hands begging her to help me. "Esme and Carlisle can give her the life she deserves, and that's all I want for her. Please, will you help me?"

She pulled me into a hug and nodded. "I will. When do you want to start this ball rolling?"

"As soon as possible, we'll need a lawyer-"

"My Uncle Edward!" Alice said suddenly. "He lives here in Seattle, he's a family lawyer. We can go see him right now if you want to?"

"Perfect." I said standing up with her. "You can't say anything until we've talked to your uncle."

"Don't worry, I won't." Alice said before dragging me to the house. "I need to change first."

20 minutes later Alice and I were in her Porsche heading towards the city.

"So what made you decide this?" Alice asked suddenly after an intense silence.

"I can't give her the life she deserves, Esme and Carlisle can. All Esme has ever wanted was to be a Mom, she lost her first child, and then she was unable to have another because of an accident. Ness is their daughter, Alice, I can see it in the way the look at her, the way they love and care for her."

"If it's any consolation, I think your doing the right thing." Alice said looking over at me with a sad eyes. "It can't be easy, I want you to know I'm always here for you, we're friends for life."

"I hope so." I smiled before we pulled up to a old huge looking house. "Wow."

"No shit." Alice chuckling pulling the car in beside a silver car. "Eddie must be home."

I looked over at Alice as we met at the front of the car. "Eddie?"

"Edward, he's my cousin- he's named after his father- it's confusing I know." She said taking my hand and leading me up the driveway and to the house. She knocked and it was answered by an older looking woman. "Aunt Liz, this is my good friend Bella, we're here to see Uncle Ed."

"He's in the living room with Edward." Liz said shaking my hand. "Nice to meet you, Bella."

"Likewise." I said following Alice to the living room. She really was a force to be reckoned with.

"Uncle Ed!" Alice squealed hugging an older grey haired man, he really did look his age. "Eddie!" She squealed again hugging a younger more attractive version of himself. "What's up cousin?"

"Keeping out of trouble, Pixie?" Little Edward said grinning at Alice before he saw me. "Whose your friend?"

"Don't even think about it!" Alice said poking his chest. "She's far to good for you. But officially Uncle Ed, Eddie, Aunt Liz this is Bella. She's staying with the Cullen's."

"Nice to meet you, Bella." Uncle Ed said shaking my hand. "What brings you two young ladies here on this fine evening?"

Alice looked at me to answer and I gathered up the courage. "I want to put my daughter up for adoption, but not to strangers, I want Carlisle and Esme to adopt her. Alice said you could help me, I can't pay you right away but I can pay you off once I get job..."

"Don't be silly, Bella, I'll pay for it." Alice said picking up my hand.

"I can't let you do that-" I protested. "-I'm serious Alice."

"Alright, before you start arguing about whose going to pay it I need to ask a few questions." Ed said taking a seat. "Is it alright if we discus it here or would you like to do this in private?"

"Right here is fine." I answered taking a seat beside Alice.

"Okay, first off how old is your daughter, what's her name?"

"Her name is Ness, and she's 2 weeks old, she was born on the 8th." I explained wringing my hands together.

"And what about her father, do you have his permission, do you know who he is-"

"He's not in the picture-"

"So he doesn't know about your daughter?"

"Possibly, but I sure as hell didn't tell him."

"If he does know we'll need his permission, and if he doesn't then he will once we ask." Ed said leaning back in his seat. "I'm sorry but it's how it works."

"I was raped, and I need that bastards permission to give Ness a better life?" I asked him raising an eyebrow. I saw both Liz and Little Ed tense at this news, usually didn't broadcast it but I was pissed. "There has to be away we can get around this without involving him, I don't want him to know about Ness if there's a chance he doesn't. He's a low life scum bag, drug pushing, rapist."

"I understand." Ed nodded staring at me with pity in his eyes. "We'll need to say that the father is unknown, I know it's degrading but it's the only way to keep her father out of the picture. Do Esme and Carlisle know what your planning?"

"No, I wanted to see you first." I admitted running a hand through my hair. "I just want her to have a better life, I don't want nothing in return, the Cullen's have already given me everything I never thought I'd have."

"And what's that?"

"A family." I answered honestly. "And hope."

"I'll see what I can do, I'll start the paperwork first thing tomorrow." Ed said sitting forward in his chair. "If there's anything you need-"

"I don't need your pity." I said cutting him off. "I just need your help, and I will pay you."

"We'll figure out the payment after the adoption, but I suggest you let Carlisle and Esme in on what your planning. I'll have the paperwork ready in a little while."

"I'll tell them tonight." I said looking to Alice who stood up clapping her hands.

"I guess that's done!" Alice said kissing her uncle and aunts cheeks. "Thank you, Uncle Ed. We'd stay longer but I have a date with Jasper at 6, and I haven't even began to pick out a dress. Don't be a stranger, Eddie, you know I love having you around."

"I won't be." Edward said smiling crookedly at me. "It was nice meeting you, Bella."

"Likewise." I said before turning to Ed. "Thank you."

"Of cause."

**That Night.**

Jasper and Alice were out on a date, Rosalie and Emmett were at the movies with Diego and his girlfriend Bree. And Carlisle and Esme were sitting across from me eating dinner, while Ness laid sleeping in the rocker.

"So I have something I need to tell you." I said looking at Carlisle and Esme.

"Okay." Carlisle said looking confused.

"What's wrong?" Esme asked looking scared.

"I've decided to give Ness up for adoption." I began watching hurt and pain flash in Esme's eyes, and anger and loss in Carlisle's.

"Bella-" Esme began to sob but I stopped her by holding up my hand.

"Just let me explain, please." I begged looking at the two people who I've come to love in the short time I've been here. "When I look at Ness I don't see my daughter, I just see a baby, and of cause I love her, I do but I'm not ready to be a Mom. That's why Alice and I went to see her Uncle Edward today. I'd like you and Carlisle to adopt Ness, Esme."

Esme looked up at me with tears in her eyes. "What?"

"This morning when I saw you with Ness and you told me your story, I realized that Ness isn't my daughter. She's yours, Esme. You and Carlisle can give her a better life. One with loving parents, and siblings." I reached across the table and picked up her hands. "You give me hope, Esme. Hope that someday I can be half the mother you are. Hope that someday maybe I can give my baby a life she or he deserves, but right now I'm 19 years old, I can't read, I don't have a job, or a house, or an education, I'm not ready to be a mother."

She stood up from the table and pulled me into a hug. "Thank you, Bella, you have no idea how happy you've just made me."

I pulled back looking up into her eyes. "You can love her, like I can never can."

Carlisle set his hand on my shoulder as tears fell from the corners of his eyes, he pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head, I closed my eyes against the tears and pulled back looking up at him, he smiled and nodded his head. "Bella, I speak for the whole family when I say this, but your not just giving us one daughter, your giving us two. You are just as much our daughter as Ness."

**5 years later.**

"Mommy, is Bella a princess?" Ness asked from her spot on the couch with her dollies.

Esme chuckled placing her hands on either side of my shoulders, sweeping my hair back as she looked at the mirror to our reflection. "She sure looks like one."

I blushed sweeping my hands over the wedding dress. "You don't think it's to much?"

"It's your wedding day, there's no such thing as to much." Rosalie said as she and Alice entered wearing the bridesmaid dresses. "You look fantastic."

"You give a whole new meaning to blushing bride." Alice said giving me a twirl. "How do I look?"

"You look beautiful."

"Oh thank you." Alice giggled before she started jumping up and down. "I can't believe your getting married!"

"I can't believe it either." I smiled nervously as the butterflies filled my stomach.

"There's just one thing missing." Liz said coming to stand in front of me with a white gold tiara with blue sapphires. "This has been passed down from mother to daughter for generations, I don't have a daughter but it only seems right that you would wear it today."

I could feel the tears filling my eyes as I stared at Liz. "It's beautiful."

She set it on top of my head, before cupping my face in her hands. "You can't cry until after the wedding, you don't want to ruin all of our hard work do you."

I giggled shaking my head as I looked around the room at my family. "I don't know what to say..."

"You don't need to say anything." Rosalie said picking up my hand. "We know."

We were pulled out of our musing as a knock sounded on the door, we turned as Carlisle entered the room all suited up and carrying Rose's daughter Lilly. "Everybody is taking their seats now, you girls need to go get ready."

Esme and Liz nodded kissing my cheeks. "We'll see you downstairs."

I nodded watching as they left, Liz took Lilly in her arms and carried her downstairs while Rosalie and Alice walked with Ness downstairs. I turned back to the mirror smiling as Carlisle walked up behind me smiling proudly.

"You've come along way, Bella." Carlisle whispered kissing my cheek. "I'm proud of you."

5 years ago I was living on the streets, barely scraping by to survive. I'd given birth to a little girl in the back ally of a bakery, and I could barely read, I got by on pictures and memory alone. 5 years on I was a college graduate, with a nursing degree, and a soon to be a married woman.

The Cullen's put me through school, they paid for my therapy and helped me in every way they could to help me move on and accept my past and accept myself. I was still in therapy and I didn't know if I'd ever stop because those few hours a week left me feeling better and optimistic.

"It's time, Bella." Carlisle whispered picking up my hands. "Are you ready for this?"

"I've never been more ready." I said wrapping my arm around his as we descended the stairs and through the back doors. As we reached the aisle I looked to the end of the aisle and felt my heart skip a beat, there standing as handsome as ever was my soon to be husband.

Edward Masen.

My past no longer mattered, it no longer controlled me, I no longer suffered the nightmares that would leave me in a cold sweat. Today surrounded by my family, my friends, I closed the door to my past and opened the door to my future.

"Who gives this woman to this man?" The priest asked as we reached the end of the aisle.

"I, Carlisle Cullen, father of the bride give this woman to this man..."

**The End.**

"Yes, the past can hurt, but the way I see it, you either run from it, or learn from it." – Rafiki in The Lion King.


End file.
